Agricultural patents have a long history of discord and despair — Bowman v. Monsanto is the just the latest through the door. Eli Whitney, the father of the cotton gin, was tied up for years in what is arguably the most famous agriculture patent litigation case ever. Whitney wound up with hollow fame from his gin invention, but never wealth. The cotton gin was wrapped up in endless patent litigation and Whitney could only watch as cotton wealth splashed everywhere but on him.

Two hundred years after Whitney’s patent nightmare, Bowman v. Monsanto played out before the highest court in the land; Goliath won the seed patent litigation, but it’s ultimately a victory for the entire agriculture industry.